Gibraltar on Your Own? Taxi to Cable Car?

[cruisin'sz]

Thinking of doing Gibraltar on our using taxis and/or walking.   We want to go to the top of the rock (by cable car?), see the spes, caves and the town.  Just starting to research, so may find some more gems (feel free to offer suggestions - they are always welcome).  If anyone has any feedback as to how easy it is to do this port on our own,  let me know.   Alternatively, are we better off with a ship tour (usually a last resort for us)?  A third option is a pre-booked van tour, but they are all quite high.  If anyone is interested in putting together a group of 8 for a pre-booked van tour, or needs 2 more people for one they are already on; let me know.  We will be on the 4/8 sailing of Jewel of the Seas.

[mskaufman]

When we were there the taxis were more interested in selling us a tour than taking us to the cable car.  It was a short walk to where we picked up a bus that stopped at the cable car.  Sorry, but I do not remember the bus number.

[John Bull]

 Taxi /van tour of the upper Rock is available at the cruise terminal, no need to pre_book as long as you aren’t among the last off the ship. Price I last heard was £22 or €25 pp incl admissions. Tour takes a little under 2 hours and includes St Michaels Cave, Apes Den and Great Siege Tunnel/Galleries, plus panoramic photo opportunities. Driver can take you back to the ship, but most folk bale out at Casemates Square (bottom of Main Street} to explore the towns minor sights, shops, pubs etc. From there it’s. 20-25 minute walk back to the ship.

 

If instead you want to take the cable car do it by about 9.30 am, because busloads from the Spanish resorts means that later there are often long lines. And be aware that if it’s windy the cable car service is suspended. 

From the top station it’s a 10 minute walk to the apes den, and a further 10 to 15 minutes to St Michaels Cave. The Great Siege tunnels are 29 - 25 minutes in THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. If you go there, instead of walking back to the cable car it’s easier to walk down from the tunnels to Casemates Square, past the WW2 Tunnels entrance and the Moorish Castle.

 

The cablecarr is best for those who enjoy hiking and setting their own agenda and timescale, a van your is best and simplest for those who want an easy day.

 

JB 😀

[Bean2010]

WE used a taxi tour and my advice is to do this. we visited Gib for a second time and walked up to the cable car to explore. The queues were hours long! Several people I spoke to came out of the line, even after paying (there are 2 queues - one to pay and one to access) and went in search of a taxi tour.

 

The taxi tour was brilliant.

[dronnygirl]

If you want to walk through the town you can walk in, then up Main Street to the Trafalgar cemetery. You can pick up taxis there to take you on a trip up the rock and St Michael's cave. Cheaper and you will see more than just taking the cable car.

[John Bull]

5 hours ago, dronnygirl said:

If you want to walk through the town you can walk in, then up Main Street to the Trafalgar cemetery. You can pick up taxis there to take you on a trip up the rock and St Michael's cave. Cheaper and you will see more than just taking the cable car.

 

 

Yes, there are several places in town where you can pick up a taxi / van tour of the Upper Rock.

But afaik the price is fixed, & is the same for all pick-up points, so the OP would do better to take the tour from the cruise terminal - saves the 25 - 30 minute walk to the Trafalgar cemetery, and the vans fill quickly at the cruise terminal whereas there might be a wait in town for others to share.

 

JB 

[llamo68]

We did Gibraltar on our own. Walked off the ship and hunted high and low for the signs to point is to the top of the rock. We felt like we were on the amazing race!! Then the walk was straight up! Through neighborhoods without roads. We did talk to various residents on our Treck up and they said they had to get used to the walk!! We saw the siege tunnels and the apes. Then walked down and into town. It was a great day!! We walked off any weight gained while on the ship!!


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[onyx007]

If your goal is "the rock" and it's sights then a tour by taxi is the one I would recommend.

 

Firstly you'll get to more places and secondly no waiting lines when you enter the cable car...

(...I stayed at a hotel near the cable car, but I still choose the taxi-tour)

[reney313]

We took a bus from the port to center of "town".  If I recall, that wasn't really needed.  We could have walked.  Anyway, we then went to the cable car.  And waited.  and waited. And waited.  I think we waited nearly 2 hours and we weren't halfway through the line.  We jumped out of a line, took one of the taxi's that had been begging us since we left the ship, and it was easy peasy and wonderful.  I think I enjoyed it better than I would have enjoyed the cable car.  One word of caution - do not bring any food with you.  Not in your backpack, your purse, etc.  The monkeys will go after it.  We had a lady in our taxi/van (not in our group but in the same vehicle) who tried to feed a monkey, got bit.  We were unable to stop at the last few photo stops on the way down overlooking the sea so she could go to a hospital!  I wasn't very thrilled with her, don't be her!!  (she was fine, we saw her on the ship a few hours later).

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 6/5/2021 at 12:45 AM, reney313 said:

We took a bus from the port to center of "town".  If I recall, that wasn't really needed.  We could have walked.  Anyway, we then went to the cable car.  And waited.  and waited. And waited.  I think we waited nearly 2 hours and we weren't halfway through the line.  We jumped out of a line, took one of the taxi's that had been begging us since we left the ship, and it was easy peasy and wonderful.  I think I enjoyed it better than I would have enjoyed the cable car.  One word of caution - do not bring any food with you.  Not in your backpack, your purse, etc.  The monkeys will go after it.  We had a lady in our taxi/van (not in our group but in the same vehicle) who tried to feed a monkey, got bit.  We were unable to stop at the last few photo stops on the way down overlooking the sea so she could go to a hospital!  I wasn't very thrilled with her, don't be her!!  (she was fine, we saw her on the ship a few hours later).

She wouldn't have been fine after I saw her on the ship later!!!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for all the advice on this thread.  We had been planning to take the cable car and walk down, and would still prefer that if you could just walk up and get on.  But waiting on line like that is crazy, and if we take the taxi tour we would get to see Europa Point too.  So I'm changing my notes to say:  take taxi tour!

[WESTEAST]

We took a ship excursion that included visiting the limestone caves within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve which was very interesting. We also met up with some Barbary apes - one followed us and snatched a water bottle attached to a waist belt - they are strong!  We then strolled the town, stopped for lunch and then walked back to the pier where our ship was docked (about 15 minute walk). 

[Irishhappycruiser]

Is there anyway to pre book the taxi to meet you off the ship? Do you need to book tickets for the caves/Apes den and Europa point? The price for the 2 hour ship tour is nearly 150 for 2 adults and my 5 year old! 

[Anubi]

We are attempting DIY of Gibraltar.  Please feel free to comment or suggest changes.

 

Book the Nature Reserve ticket ahead of time to lessen time in the queue at the cable cars;

Take cab from ship to cable cars as early as possible;

At the top, have breakfast at the restaurant; optional

Leisurely walk to the WW II tunnels for the tour - No.#1 reason for going up

Walk down from the Moorish Castle and then walk and shop our way back to the ship.  

 

One other question:  can we bypass all of the above and just take a taxi up to the WWII tunnels from the ship without a tour. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Anubi

[atobols]

We made a reservation for breakfast at Mons Calpe Suite for breakfast.  Eating a meal there gets free cable car ride up and back.  You also get to skip the line by going in the exit door and getting right onto a cable car.  We plan on buying nature reserve tickets when we get to the top.  I can copy and paste the exact wording from the reservation confirmation email if anyone is interested. Our plan is to do breakfast at 10AM, buy our nature reserve tickets and then walk down the rock seeing sites as we go.  It should only be a little over 5 km walk and take us about 4 hours to do it.  That's our plan based on what I've read and the people I've spoken with.  Having never been there, I'm open to suggestions.

Edited May 22, 2022 by atobols

[John Bull]

On 5/22/2022 at 2:44 PM, Anubi said:

We are attempting DIY of Gibraltar.  Please feel free to comment or suggest changes.

 

Book the Nature Reserve ticket ahead of time to lessen time in the queue at the cable cars;

Take cab from ship to cable cars as early as possible;

At the top, have breakfast at the restaurant; optional

Leisurely walk to the WW II tunnels for the tour - No.#1 reason for going up

Walk down from the Moorish Castle and then walk and shop our way back to the ship.  

 

One other question:  can we bypass all of the above and just take a taxi up to the WWII tunnels from the ship without a tour. 

 

On 5/22/2022 at 7:03 PM, atobols said:

We made a reservation for breakfast at Mons Calpe Suite for breakfast.  Eating a meal there gets free cable car ride up and back.  You also get to skip the line by going in the exit door and getting right onto a cable car.  We plan on buying nature reserve tickets when we get to the top.  I can copy and paste the exact wording from the reservation confirmation email if anyone is interested. Our plan is to do breakfast at 10AM, buy our nature reserve tickets and then walk down the rock seeing sites as we go.  It should only be a little over 5 km walk and take us about 4 hours to do it.  That's our plan based on what I've read and the people I've spoken with.  Having never been there, I'm open to suggestions.

 

The nature reserve fee has in the past been included in the cablecar fare and in the taxi/van tour fare, with only hikers having to buy separately.

But you both seem quite confident about buying them, so perhaps things have changed in the last few years.

 

Anubi - yes your plan will work, though taxi drivers will want to persuade you to take their tour. Add about a 35 min walk from ship to bottom cablecar if you can't get a taxi.  And it's not as leisurely a stroll as you might be anticipating from the Top of the Rock to the WW2 Tunnels - its a little up-and-down with switchbacks. But glorious westerly views over your ship & the Bay of Algeciras.

 

Yes, you can take a taxi direct to the WW2 Tunnels. But I'm not sure whether your taxi-driver would have to pay the hefty vehicle entry for the Nature Reserve, which starts at the Moorish Castle. If so, get him to drop you where he can turn around just before the Moorish Castle (get him to point out the bus stop at the same time). Then it's only a couple of hundred yards to walk past the Moorish Castle (buy your Nature Reserve tickets there) to the entrance of the WW2 tunnels. 

Tours are accompanied (its a rabbit warren of tunnels), about every 1/2 hour I think.

The exit is higher up the Rock - you can walk down the road or follow the guide back thro the tunnels to the entrance.

 

A third option is to take an Upper Rock van tour from the cruise terminal (no pre-booking necessary). It visits St Michaels Cave, the apes' feeding station and the Great Siege Tunnel - above the WW2 tunnels & linked to them but the link is not open. Great vertical views from there down to the airport & border, and across to Spain

The tour then returns to town > >  > > >  past the entrance to the WW2 Tunnels. So pay the driver and ask him to drop you there. Other folk do that.

 

atobols - yes, your plan should work. If you take the steps down alongside the Charles V wall (between the apes' feeding station / glass floor and the apes' den) they're very steep & a little uneven -  and in a straight line, so you need to take it very steady.

At the apes' den, consider going off-route a little to walk the new Windsor Suspension Bridge (if you dare 😅) - I've not seen it.

When you get down to the town its easy to take a wrong turn - anyone you see ask them to confirm you're heading the right way. Aim for the little Trafalgar Cemetery (sailors who died of their wounds after the Battle of Trafalgar, south of Cadiz, 1805). Then down Main Street for pubs, cafes, shops etc, and 20 - 25 mins back to the ship.

 

JB 🙂

[Hlitner]

We were in Gibraltar late last month (April) and thought we would pass on a few tidbits.  DW and I did our usual "thing" which was to walk from the ship into town and we eventually made our way to the cable car station.  There was a pretty long line at the cable car which was made so much worse because only one lady was handling tickets and she redefined the word "sloooow."  After noticing that the line was barely moving we decided to skip the cable car (we have been up the rock many times in the past) and just head back into town for a beer (JB will be delighted to hear that I found Guiness on draught).  

 

There were a few taxis outside the secure port area and it would have been relatively easy to hire one for a tour.  I do not know if the drivers would resist the idea of simply dropping folks somewhere up on the rock as most prefer to be hired for a multi-hour tour.   There were also some taxis at the cable car station trying to lure folks to their taxis (for a tour).

 

I should also note that the cable car mid-station is closed for the entire summer season.  We have seen this during some previous visits and it is done to speed up the cable car process.  We used to take the cable car to the top, spend a couple of hours working our way down to the mid-station and then take the cable car the remaining distance back to the bottom.  This summer that is not going to be possible.

 

For those concerned about Covid, I guess they might want to consider staying home!  Europe (and Gibraltar) is crowded (and will be a lot more crowded as we move into the prime season) and most folks have little interest in social distancing or wearing masks.  To say that those who are concerned about COVID are in the minority would be an understatement.

 

Hank

[PacnGoNow]

On 5/26/2022 at 11:31 AM, Hlitner said:

We were in Gibraltar late last month (April) and thought we would pass on a few tidbits.  DW and I did our usual "thing" which was to walk from the ship into town and we eventually made our way to the cable car station.  There was a pretty long line at the cable car which was made so much worse because only one lady was handling tickets and she redefined the word "sloooow."  After noticing that the line was barely moving we decided to skip the cable car (we have been up the rock many times in the past) and just head back into town for a beer (JB will be delighted to hear that I found Guiness on draught).  

 

There were a few taxis outside the secure port area and it would have been relatively easy to hire one for a tour.  I do not know if the drivers would resist the idea of simply dropping folks somewhere up on the rock as most prefer to be hired for a multi-hour tour.   There were also some taxis at the cable car station trying to lure folks to their taxis (for a tour).

 

I should also note that the cable car mid-station is closed for the entire summer season.  We have seen this during some previous visits and it is done to speed up the cable car process.  We used to take the cable car to the top, spend a couple of hours working our way down to the mid-station and then take the cable car the remaining distance back to the bottom.  This summer that is not going to be possible.

 

For those concerned about Covid, I guess they might want to consider staying home!  Europe (and Gibraltar) is crowded (and will be a lot more crowded as we move into the prime season) and most folks have little interest in social distancing or wearing masks.  To say that those who are concerned about COVID are in the minority would be an understatement.

 

Hank

Can’t you just come off the ship and hire a taxi for a rock tour?  You used to be able to get a taxi tour for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Any idea what they are charging? Can’t find real current info.

 

Seems the cable car might be more difficult with a full ship.

TIA

[John Bull]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:43 PM, PacnGoNow said:

Can’t you just come off the ship and hire a taxi for a rock tour?  You used to be able to get a taxi tour for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Any idea what they are charging? Can’t find real current info.

 

Seems the cable car might be more difficult with a full ship.

TIA

 

 

Yes, you can - get off the ship at the same time as the herd and the taxi marshals will put you in a van with others & off you go. Don't leave it too late or either you'll be hanging around waiting for the van to fill or vans will have deserted the terminal in search of more fertile places.

 

It's the same tour as has proven popular for many years, the same route & stops as this one

http://www.gibraltartaxiassociation.com/tour/standard-rock-tour

Price includes all admission fees.

At the end you can be taken back to the ship, or most folk opt to bale out at Casemates Square (about 20 - 25 mins flat walk from the ship) to explore Main Street shops, cafes, pubs and minor attractions.

 

I don't know the current price, recent reports have varied between £25 pp and £35 pp (Euros also accepted) but the price is fixed so some of those reports are from poor memories or start points from elsewhere such as the Spanish border.

 

If you're among the first off and don't dawdle (about 35 min  walk) or grab a taxi, the size of your ship won't impact the cablecar line.

More significant are the hordes of day-trippers who come to Gib by coach from the Spanish resorts.

Before 10am, no problem. After 10.30 lines are often very long, so re-consider cablecar plans if your ship is a late arrival.

But for reasons that I can't fathom there's usually no long line to come back down.

And BTW the cablecar service is suspended (awful deliberate pun 🙄) in moderately high winds.

 

JB 🙂

Edited February 3, 2023 by John Bull

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

 

 

Yes, you can - get off the ship at the same time as the herd and the taxi marshals will put you in a van with others & off you go. Don't leave it too late or either you'll be hanging around waiting for the van to fill or vans will have deserted the terminal in search of more fertile places.

 

It's the same tour as has proven popular for many years, the same route & stops as this one

http://www.gibraltartaxiassociation.com/tour/standard-rock-tour

Price includes all admission fees.

At the end you can be taken back to the ship, or most folk opt to bale out at Casemates Square (about 20 - 25 mins flat walk from the ship) to explore Main Street shops, cafes, pubs and minor attractions.

 

I don't know the current price, recent reports have varied between £25 pp and £35 pp (Euros also accepted) but the price is fixed so some of those reports are from poor memories or start points from elsewhere such as the Spanish border.

 

If you're among the first off and don't dawdle (about 35 min  walk) or grab a taxi, the size of your ship won't impact the cablecar line.

More significant are the hordes of day-trippers who come to Gib by coach from the Spanish resorts.

Before 10am, no problem. After 10.30 lines are often very long, so re-consider cablecar plans if your ship is a late arrival.

But for reasons that I can't fathom there's usually no long line to come back down.

And BTW the cablecar service is suspended (awful deliberate pun 🙄) in moderately high winds.

 

JB 🙂

Thank you!  Very helpful.

[lovely_serenity]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:34 AM, John Bull said:

 

 

Yes, you can - get off the ship at the same time as the herd and the taxi marshals will put you in a van with others & off you go. Don't leave it too late or either you'll be hanging around waiting for the van to fill or vans will have deserted the terminal in search of more fertile places.

 

It's the same tour as has proven popular for many years, the same route & stops as this one

http://www.gibraltartaxiassociation.com/tour/standard-rock-tour

Price includes all admission fees.

At the end you can be taken back to the ship, or most folk opt to bale out at Casemates Square (about 20 - 25 mins flat walk from the ship) to explore Main Street shops, cafes, pubs and minor attractions.

 

I don't know the current price, recent reports have varied between £25 pp and £35 pp (Euros also accepted) but the price is fixed so some of those reports are from poor memories or start points from elsewhere such as the Spanish border.

 

If you're among the first off and don't dawdle (about 35 min  walk) or grab a taxi, the size of your ship won't impact the cablecar line.

More significant are the hordes of day-trippers who come to Gib by coach from the Spanish resorts.

Before 10am, no problem. After 10.30 lines are often very long, so re-consider cablecar plans if your ship is a late arrival.

But for reasons that I can't fathom there's usually no long line to come back down.

And BTW the cablecar service is suspended (awful deliberate pun 🙄) in moderately high winds.

 

JB 🙂

How much time do you have in Saint Michael’s cave and the Great Seige tunnels to walk around at each location? Does it feel very rushed? Assuming the driver just drips you off at each one on this tour, do they just give you a time limit and tell you to meet back in x minutes? Thanks!

[lovely_serenity]

Also whereabouts by the Public Market is the shuttle pick up point if I only want to take the shuttle back to the ship? Thanks!

[Senga]

@John Bullappears to be MIA.  Sure hope he is okay.  

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, lovely_serenity said:

How much time do you have in Saint Michael’s cave and the Great Seige tunnels to walk around at each location? Does it feel very rushed? Assuming the driver just drips you off at each one on this tour, do they just give you a time limit and tell you to meet back in x minutes? Thanks!

 

IIRC correctly, about 20 minutes at each.

That's plenty of time in St Michael's Cave.

And "sufficient" at the Great Siege Tunnels, though there's a great panoramic view from near the entrance which'd be worth longer.

 

1 hour ago, lovely_serenity said:

Also whereabouts by the Public Market is the shuttle pick up point if I only want to take the shuttle back to the ship? Thanks!

 

Casemates Square is at the bottom (north) end of Main Street.

There's an indoor market opposite the bus station, accessed thro a pedestrian gateway in the rear left corner of Casemates Square and under the main road.. Internet says it's open on wednesdays. 

And some stalls in Casemates Square.

 

38 minutes ago, Senga said:

@John Bullappears to be MIA.  Sure hope he is okay.  

 

 

A. No he isn't, he's just been taking in the glorious weather.

B. Yes he is, other than a touch of sunburn 😏

 

Thanks for the update on taxi tour prices.

We've had high inflation in in Europe, currently around 10% p.a.  Much of it due to war in Ukraine and embargos on Russian gas & oil which seem to be hurting Europe as much as (more than?)  Russia.🙄

So price increases are a fact of life.

But from around £30 to £55 ??????????

Cost used to be about the same as return tickets for the cablecar (incl. St Michael's Cave) which is now £37.

Go figure 🙁  

 

JB 🙂 

 

[Senga]

11 minutes ago, John Bull said:

A. No he isn't, he's just been taking in the glorious weather.

B. Yes he is, other than a touch of sunburn 😏

 

Thanks for the update on taxi tour prices.

We've had high inflation in in Europe, currently around 10% p.a.  Much of it due to war in Ukraine and embargos on Russian gas & oil which seem to be hurting Europe as much as (more than?)  Russia.🙄

So price increases are a fact of life.

But from around £30 to £55 ??????????

Cost used to be about the same as return tickets for the cablecar (incl. St Michael's Cave) which is now £37.

Go figure 🙁  

 

JB 🙂 

Glad to hear you are taking some time to yourself and that your weather is glorious!  

 

I posted a question on current tour costs on  TripAdvisor Gibraltar forum but no response as yet.  Guess we just bite the bullet and enjoy the scenery.